Sweet Serendipity
by LetsSingtheDoomSong
Summary: Ronthil lived to serve as he had always said. Nathaniel wanted to claim this little Bosmer for his own. Male!Dovakiin/Ronthil. Mentions of Vingalmo/Ronthil, Fura/Ronthil & of course Feran taking care of our dear Ronthil. Don't judge me, I fell for the little vampire elf. This has also starting to turn into a series of shorts. Enjoy. Also on AO3.
1. Chapter 1

Dymond: I didn't think I'd actually be posting this since I have a recent obsession with the cute little Bosmer vampire named Ronthil with my male Nord Dovahkiin Nathaniel (yes named after Nathaniel Howe from Dragon Age. Even kinda looks like him, but with a ponytail. He even has that stupid little patch of fur on his chin). If only xbox was able to access the mods... Oh well! Well, this is my little fanfiction pairing Ronthil/Nathaniel with tidbits of Ronthil/Vingalmo, Ronthil/Fura & Ronthil/Feran in a sort of Son/Father relationship instead of romantic. Be gentle with flames. I'm going to go huggles my Ronthil.

Probably won't be up for long if enough people don't review on it or like it. Or until Fanfiction throws a hissy fit. Either way, to each their own.

Idea influenced by the skyrimkinkmeme.

On another note I have not had a lot of practice with sex scenes, so play nice. I tried my best.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~(Squiggles in Skyrim)

Politics drove him up a wall. He disliked greatly the rabble of people who deemed themselves above the common man in pursuit of their own personal goals despite their empty claims of 'doing it for the people'. Perhaps there were a few true gentile politicians who had their hearts set on the betterment of mankind, but Nathaniel had yet to see it. Even after he had sided with the Stormcloaks in a hasty coin-flip decision (and the fact that the Imperials had tried to behead him even though he had done nothing wrong except cross the border to return home), he wasn't used as a freedom fighter but more as flag to show that the Dragonborn was on the side of the Stormcloaks & the Imperials could choke on the Dominion's pecker.

He had done it all since returning to Skyrim. He just wanted to come home, see his mother & father (who he had discovered was killed during an Imperial ambush of a Stormcloak camp they were assisting with healing in) & maybe set down roots. That plan fell into a gorge to never been seen again for years. He traveled the length of Skyrim several times over: Discovered he was the Dragonborn when he was shanghaied into slaying a dragon outside of Whiterun, joined a guild that complemented his talents as a thief & became their Guild Master, became the Harbinger of the Companions & the Listener to the infamous Dark Brotherhood & successfully assassinated the Emperor of Tamriel & finally became the Arch Mage of the Mage's College in Winterhold. In that time he defeated the World-Eater Alduin, ended a civil war in favor of Ulfric (he still bore a grudge that the Empire tried to behead him when he was crossing the border to come _home_) & stopped a moronic Altmer elf from blowing up the rest of Winterhold. This wasn't the home he left, but it was home now.

And just when he thought it was all over & he could settle down & start a family: Serana came along. Which started yet another campaign of mass murder across Skyrim, but not only against the Dawnguard that hunted him down whenever they could collect themselves for an attack, but killing Harkon to be sure that the prophecy of the sun being taken out of the equation never came to pass. As much as the sun irritated his skin now, the world needed the sun.

He finally started to relax after he defeated Harkon & settle in to his new title of Vampire Lord & Master of Castle Volkihar. He spent most of his days sitting in his new quarters (Harkon's old chambers), sitting in a chair with a goblet of fresh blood from one of the cattle & watching the fire dance in the fire place. He had changed up the place from the bloodied & horrified state the previous Master Vampire had left it in, removing the cage & the torture rack since both were distasteful to have in a proper Nord's quarters. He had kept the coffin in the back portion of the room where it had been previously, but he had moved the study area to the lower portion & placed a large bed for those days when he didn't want to sleep in an uncomfortable coffin. He didn't necessarily _like_ to sleep standing upright & preferred the soft sheets of his bed. He had a few weapons racks hung up in the room with various weapons he had collected in his travels, the bookshelf stuffed to the brim with books he had hoarded (guilty pleasure). All in all, the room was… respectful. Normal to a point with the exception of a few vials of blood that littered the table tops.

Orthjolf & Vingalmo were about to be fed to the death hounds if they kept bickering over Nathaniel's attention, Fura was a bitch, Garan & Feran were tolerable almost likable, but none of them topped the young, skittish & terrified of a blowing leaf Ronthil. Ronthil, the young Bosmer always greeted him pleasantly when the others sneered at him before he became the Lord of Castle Volkihar. He had his redish hair styled like that of a typical elf (gravity defying) & a thin face that was marred with a bruise on most days. Feran would never lay a hand on his assistant, but Vingalmo's scent would stain the poor thing's skin for days no matter how much he bathed, scrubbing his skin until he was pigmented pink. Vingalmo was not… polite for lack of a better term & definitely wouldn't be polite to the submissive little elf.

Ronthil also did him the favor of caring for the blinded Dexion that Nathaniel didn't have the heart to kill or throw out into the world. He led Dexion around when asked & brought him actual food from the stores that Nathaniel had purchased just for the blind Moth Priest. Vingalmo protested Dexion staying there, but Nathaniel responded that he would rip his throat out & feed it to the hounds rather than allow him to even touch Dexion. Only Nathaniel was allowed to feed from him (not that he did) & only Nathaniel could make decisions on what Dexion did. He allowed Ronthil to tend to the man when he had noticed him bring Dexion some lunch of a crunchy rabbit leg & grilled leeks with a sort of cheese sauce that Ronthil seemed good at making.

Ronthil jumped at every person that approached him & said something. He always apologized for things he didn't do or that the thought would bring offense to someone like Nathaniel. He was overtly shy, to a fault. Each vampire in the court was out for power, killing whoever stood in their way if they thought they could take them (none dared challenge Nathaniel ever since the last one after the defeat of Harkon). Each vampire, except for Ronthil. Ronthil was more… needy, the best he could describe the young vampire's demeanor. He was nervous about interacting with anyone other than Feran (maybe Garan), scared of what Vingalmo could do to him & terrified of Fura who took out her violent pleasure on him. The poor man had suffered so much abused under these vampires; it was actually a surprise that he was still alive.

From the light threatening to break through even the smallest crack of the one window in the room, it was still around mid-afternoon. The others were either asleep or feeding ravenously on several of the cattle in the dining hall without killing the pathetic beings as to not anger the cattle master. Nathaniel set down his goblet on the end table & pushed himself out of his seat, the leather of his chest piece creaking in protest to the movement. He folded his hands behind his back & wandered down the stairs to see if young Ronthil was still awake or if he was sleeping like the rest of them. He never really came down during the day, only leaving at night due to the sun's effect on him.

He wandered down the stairs, patting CuSith on the head as he passed. Garan was not standing by the balcony, meaning he had gone to sleep. CuSith followed obediently behind his master, low woofing every few seconds. Nathaniel made it to the overlooking balcony of the laboratory leaning against the railing. He couldn't see anyone working. Feran had gone to sleep only an hour prior, but not before popping in to give Nathaniel a remedy to help with a headache he had gotten from Vingalmo & Orthjolf.

His eyebrows furrowed when he noticed legs poking out from behind the bookshelf. "Who in the…?" He muttered walking the walkway, trailing his hand along the railing. CuSith whined at his master's mild distress & stayed put. He swiftly went down the stairs & eventually stopped by the feet of the person. He gazed around the bookshelf & was floored when he saw the sweet & shy Ronthil sleeping there, curled into a sort of ball. There wasn't even a bedroll under him for comfort; just him & the cold stone floor. Nathaniel knelt down closer to the vampire, watching him breathe & shift uncomfortably in his sleep. His arms were his pillows & he wasn't even granted a blanket. Nathaniel shook his head & lightly touched Ronthil's shoulder.

He didn't even twitch. He was so exhausted that he fell into a state of unconsciousness instead of sleep. Another shake of his head had Nathaniel looping his arms under Ronthil's knees & around his shoulders, lifting him with ease. Ronthil stirred a bit but stayed asleep thankfully. With the grace of a Master Vampire Lord, Nathaniel ascended the stairs & made his way back to his quarters. CuSith grunted a bark & padded off to sleep with Garmr for the rest of the morning.

He kicked open the doors to his quarters & walked to the bed, gently depositing the sleeping vampire on top of it. He slipped the covers out from underneath him & covered him, making sure he was tucked in & safe. Nathaniel sat down on the edge of the bed, watching Ronthil shift & curl into the blankets contently. Ever so lightly, he trailed a hand along the fine jaw of his face enjoying the feel of the Bosmer's skin; so soft & delicate for someone of the undead. In a flash, he removed his hand & left the bedside as to not disturb Ronthil while he slept.

He wandered over to his desk & took a seat, writing missives & reading letters from his various companions in charge of day to day operations. The Thieves Guild was mostly left in the capable hands of Vex, Delvin & Brynjolf who he wouldn't trust the Guild with anyone else at this point. Not even Karliah had a say in what went on even though she was the _senior_ member since she was the last of the original Nightingale Trinity, but he was still wary of her since she _did_ shoot him with an arrow leaving him exposed to be stabbed by Mercer.

Tolfdir kept the Mages College working steadily with no accidental explosions to cause a repeat of the Great Collapse or any of the students setting themselves on fire. Onmund helped where he could with it, having been personally trusted to care for Nathaniel's quarters while he was gone since the man was his best friend there as a fellow Nord. He was nervous about the proposition, but eventually accepted slotting in the role quite well.

Nazir was keeping the new assassins in line & making sure they didn't botch a contract. When the Night Mother would speak to him, it would send a name with a courier to the inn in Dawnstar where Nazir would frequent to check for the letters. He honestly wished the old corpse would pick someone else since hearing voices in his head didn't exactly put him on the sane list. Often times he would get names of people he knew & would tell the Night Mother to piss off. She seemed to not bother him too much about the contracts he purposely ignored since she hadn't had a Listener in years & Nathaniel constantly reminded her that it was her fault that Cicero went insane, the poor man.

There were various other letters as well like one from Ulfric inviting him to a feast with the other Jarls of Skyrim, but he politely declined since eating regular food upset his stomach something fierce. There was another from that bitch Delphine who apparently didn't get the memo to piss off when it came to Paarthurnax & that he wasn't going to gut the dragon no matter if he _was_ Alduin's lieutenant. She & Esbern were still barking up a storm about it saying the dragons had to be exterminated, but if he got word that they were spotted up in High Hrothgar from the Greybeards there would be a reckoning that they would NOT walk out of alive. A few thank you letters from numerous citizens of Skyrim, some pleas for help & brochures for stores he frequented. Most of it was junk that he would throw into the fire.

He perked up when he heard a small yelp from the sleeping vampire in his bed & he glanced up at the second platform of his chambers. Ronthil was sitting straight up in the bed, looking around like a startled elk, his eyes wide & full of fear. "Where…?" He questioned before glancing in Nathaniel's direction. The moment their eyes met, Ronthil flew out of bed like a bat out of Molag Bol's portion of Oblivion. "My Lord! I-I am sorry! I must have slept walk & I-I'm so terribly sorry for-"

"Ronthil!" Nathaniel shouted a little harsher than he meant to since it caused the startled elf to wince. "Be calm. I brought you here while you slept." He got off of his chair & walked his way up to Ronthil who was still stiff as a board.

The Bosmer looked up at him like an elk staring down the notched arrow of a drawn bow. Nathaniel watched him with a sort of predatory gaze. "Why do you sleep on the floor behind the bookshelf?" He asked getting well within Ronthil's personal bubble he had set up for himself. Up close he could see just how delicate & skittish the Bosmer male was in desperate need of attention & protection. His eyes darted to every possible hiding place in Nathaniel's chambers to protect himself.

"I-I… The others… they don't…" He stammered but the story was already laid out. The others wouldn't allow him to sleep amongst them because they deemed him lower than them - Someone not even worthy to be in their presence. Such is the life of the Court.

Nathaniel allowed his finger to hook under Ronthil's chin, forcing him to look up at him. "That will continue no longer if you agree to what I'm going to ask you next." Ronthil's eyes widened at the prospect of not sleeping behind a bookshelf anymore. Nathaniel smirked at his correct assumptions: Ronthil was more than happy to be taken care of for once in his life. "I've been watching you, Ronthil. And I am not pleased with what I see happen to you."

"M-My Lord?"

"You seek to please, but no one appreciates you for it. Others use you, beat you, violate you without so much as a comforting tone. I seek to change that, if you will have me," Nathaniel spoke evenly, not allowing any emotion to slip through aside from lust. "I offer you my protection."

"Protection?"

"You will be mine. You can still do your work for Feran if you would please, but no one else is allowed to use you, to touch you, to command you. Only me. And I assure you, I am not unkind. I had been watching you since I first spoke to you. Your hard work & diligence to please all around you has not gone unnoticed. If anyone dares to lay a hand on you, you will come to me & I will deal with it. And you would be allowed the use of my chambers as you please."

Nathaniel could see the emotions flitting about through the Bosmer's gold eyes, having a hard time believing what the just heard it seems. "Yes," The elf finally said.

With a low lustful growl, Nathaniel hauled the Bosmer off his feet causing the frightful thing to yelp & instinctively wrap his legs around Nathaniel's waist. He smirked when Ronthil's face betrayed his surprise that he was allowing such a thing to occur as he walked toward the bed once more. If he was going to take his elf, he was going to do this right.

The slight elf blushed when he was gently lowered to the soft covers of the bed like that of a lover instead of roughly thrown down like Vingalmo would do as he violated the poor smaller elf. Nathaniel would have to be sure that Vingalmo had no intention of laying a hand on his elf ever again. Ronthil submitted to Nathaniel like he had always been the Lord's, craning his neck when the Lord ghosted kisses over the exposed flesh, nipping & biting lightly as he traveled to the rim of his armor collar.

Nathaniel's expert fingers unlatched the leather armor, stripping the elf in no time flat leaving his lithe chest exposed to Nathaniel's hungry eyes. He was beyond thin, the points of his collarbone sharp against his skin from lack of proper nutrition & the amount of abuse his body put up with. There were fresh bruises in the shape of fingers poking out from what his trousers covered on his hips that made Nathaniel angry. The bruises were long & thin to match that of a High Elf & Vingalmo was close to have his fingers broken off & fed to CuSith who he could hear pacing the corridor outside his chambers to ward off any unwanted guests (namely everyone).

Nathaniel bent down & lightly kissed the bruises which earned him a shudder from the submissive elf beneath him. He looked up at Ronthil's face to see his face had gotten exceptionally red & his eyes were closed from embarrassment. "Why do you close your eyes?" Nathaniel asked leveling himself with Ronthil's face.

He cracked his eyes open & admitted, "I am… ashamed that my b-body is not more a-appealing." Any other protest he may have made had fallen short when Nathaniel bent & planted a sensual kiss on the little elf's lips.

When they parted, Nathaniel smiled & purred, "I'm going to claim you as my own. Your body is very appealing to me, Ronthil." He bent down & licked at the tip of Ronthil's pointed ear making him shiver. He repeated the licks until Ronthil let out a small moan but clamped up again when the noise came out. "Now that's what I like to hear," Nathaniel whispered in the elf's ear & kissed the tip again as a sort of encouragement to keep making those noises.

Ronthil shivered again in anticipation to what was no doubt to come & for once he wasn't afraid of the act. He hadn't felt this safe in his undead life, not even when his sire was still alive. And now, he had Nathaniel who was willing to put up with him & protect him.

Ronthil laid a cautious hand on his Lord's shoulder, pushing on it experimentally. Nathaniel gave him another smile & allowed the hand to guide him until he was on his back on the furs of the bed. Ronthil slowly slid down the length of his new master's body until he was kneeling between Nathaniel's strong thighs looking up anxiously for approval. Nathaniel propped himself up on his elbows & nodded for the approval Ronthil needed. He fumbled nervously on the ties of the trousers that tented over his master's arousal, feeling a little bit happy that Nathanial was aroused because of him.

The first of the tentative licks deepened his Lord's breathing in anticipation. This encouraged Ronthil to get bolder taking the head of the cock between his red kiss-swollen lips. He sucked & licked at the slit reducing his master to a panting mess, finally getting the first moan out of the man when he bobbed his head down. Nathaniel fisted the furs & sheets to prevent himself from grabbing Ronthil's fine hair & forcefully mouth-fuck him to receive more gratification. With Ronthil, he needed to be patient lest he scare away the young elf.

Ronthil took the cock deeper until the tip hit the back of his throat, forcing his gag reflex to calm itself. His nose was nearly pressed against his master's pubic hair & that made Nathaniel wild. His hand swiftly buried itself in Ronthil's hair, holding him there to enjoy the feeling of his entire cock being engulfed in the wet cavern & touching the back of the elf's throat.

He pulled back up gasping for air, but smiled at his master's reaction. He went to do it again, but Nathaniel's hand in his hair stopped him. "I don't want to cum yet," He panted pulling him up so that Ronthil was straddling his waist. "I want to see you writhe." Ronthil shivered at the near animalistic tone Nathaniel's voice fell into as his eyes darted over his body.

Flipping them over, Nathaniel moved Ronthil's arms above his head, keeping them pinned in one large palm while the other lightly held his jaw. With very gentle force, he turned Ronthil's head to the side exposing his neck in full to the Vampire Lord. "You're mine," He whispered.

Ronthil moaned out in response, "All yours." He arched his head back further to give him more access, a silent agreement to Nathaniel's statement.

He barely had time to gasp when Nathaniel sunk his fangs into his neck, but didn't suck. The fangs withdrew & he licked at the blood that peppered out. Nathaniel smirked at the mark he left & said, "Now everyone will know you are mine."

The marked burned, but it was a sweet burn that Ronthil would always cherish. Nathaniel sucked willfully on his fingers before lowering them to Ronthil's arse hole, poking & prodding at the tight ring of muscle. Ronthil gasped at the tender notion, not used to such treatment before. Vingalmo didn't give him such pleasure, only slicking his own cock up to avoid rubbing his dick raw on Ronthil's insides. This only reminded him that Nathaniel truly wanted him & cared as he had said.

The digit sunk in knuckle deep & Ronthil arched when that finger pressed expertly against that little bundle of nerves that sent his emotions into chaos. Nathaniel twisted the finger around & pressed on that bundle again causing Ronthil to grip the sheets until his knuckles turned white. A second finger was added & Ronthil bit his lip. Nathaniel assaulted that spot just to hear his beloved little elf squirm & moan wantonly & make him feel like nothing else was real only Nathaniel's fingers twisting & stretching his abused hole. After the third one entered, Nathaniel pulled his fingers out making the Bosmer to moan disappointedly at the loss of the fingers.

Nathaniel grabbed his arms & pulled him up, twisting them so that Ronthil was once again straddling his waist. "I want to ride me. Pick your pace," He whispered against Ronthil's sensitive ear. The elf shivered in response, the ear seemingly having a direct line to his dick.

Ronthil reached behind him until he had a hold of Nathaniel's slick cock, lining it up with his stretched hole. He looked Nathaniel in the eye before sinking himself easily down the hard shaft. Nathaniel's hands flew to his pointed hips pressing as much as he could into the little elf. Ronthil shifted to adjust to the far larger size than Vingalmo until his cock brushed against that sweet spot that elicited a moan from the elf.

Finding the angle, Ronthil lifted himself up before pressing back down feeling the sweet sting of being stretched from Nathaniel's large cock. After a few more thrusts, he picked up the pace until both he & Nathaniel were moaning with abandon & Nathaniel had taken over with guiding his hips. He said nothing only moaned louder when Ronthil kneaded his pectoral, his fingernails scraping through the generous amount of chest hair that littered the Nord's chest. He was fascinated with the way the muscles beneath his fingers rippled & flexed with each touch & movement of pounding into Ronthil.

Ronthil bit his lip harshly when they were interrupted by a sharp knock on the door. "My Lord?" They could hear Garen call out.

Nathaniel started up the pace again, daring Ronthil to hold in his moan with each mind-numbing thrust & answered, "What is it?"

"Orthjolf & Vingalmo request to speak with you."

"Request…" He paused at the shudder that traveled up his spine at the thought of Garan, Vingalmo or Orthjolf finding little Ronthil being claimed by the strongest Vampire of them all. Vingalmo & Orthjolf would flip their lids. Garan probably wouldn't have cared, never bothering to acquaint himself with his Lord's personal life. "Denied!"

Ronthil almost moaned at the particularly hard thrust he delivered at the shout & bit on his knuckle, bouncing on his own accord. Nathaniel shifted so that Ronthil's back was pressed into the fur, his legs hanging off the edge of the bed & Nathaniel still inside him. Nathaniel grabbed a leg & hoisted if over his shoulder before continuing the pace that made the little elf writhe desperately to not only not cum but to hold back his moans.

"Very well, do you require anything else?"

"Leave, Garan!" Nathaniel hissed in his typical way. It wasn't that he didn't _like_ Garan, it's just the man didn't know when to leave him well enough alone like now he was rudely disturbing him claiming his little elf to himself.

"Oh, one more thing: Feran was asking around for Ronthil. Have you seen him?"

"He's doing something for me! Now leave!" They both listened for Garan's departing footsteps before Ronthil moaned like a wanton whore & nibbled at Nathaniel's neck. "Are you about to come, little one?" Nathaniel purred into Ronthil's ear giving the ear a firm like from the lobe to the point. Nathaniel's hand wrapped around the erect cock & that was all she wrote.

Ronthil arched almost painfully so as he exploded all over his chest & Nathaniel's hand, the walls around Nathaniel's cock tightened. He thrusted a few more times before he too spilt inside of the wondrous little elf he had claimed. They stayed still for a few moments, allowing their heavy breathing to mingle & mix until Nathaniel removed Ronthil's leg from his shoulder & collapsed on the bed next to the elf as to not crush him.

He leaned over & lightly licked at the bite mark on Ronthil's neck & kissed it. "Mine," He muttered wrapping his arms around the little elf.

"Forever yours."


	2. Chapter 2

Nathaniel had gone to deal with a den of rogue vampires stirring up trouble near Falkreath leaving Ronthil to continue his duties with Feran actively avoiding Vingalmo as best as he could. He often saw the Altmer hovering around the overlooking balcony, the look on his face less than pleased that Ronthil had been avoiding him. He constantly asked Feran for any jobs he could do so that Vingalmo wouldn't catch him alone which annoyed the Dunmer-turned.

When the morning would come, he would wait for Vingalmo to finally leave before dashing up to his Lord's quarters. He was thankful that CuSith kept mostly everyone out while his master was away. Still, being in Nathaniel's quarters (& his own as Nathaniel kept reminding him) without him there made the chambers seem more empty than it was. Ronthil opened the door & ushered CuSith to enter so that he wouldn't be alone anymore, especially not with Vingalmo lurking about.

CuSith huffed & curled up by the fireplace while Ronthil sat on the edge of the bed already dressed for the morning – one of Nathaniel's long shirts since he didn't possess much else. He had tried to sleep in the coffin in the back of the quarters, but after spending a few mornings curled up in the bed with Nathaniel, he couldn't find himself to be able to get comfortable in a coffin even if it was a new luxury that he should have enjoyed.

When the night came around, Ronthil was once again doing whatever jobs Feran needed doing. When he was dismissed to go feed, he quickly retrieved a blood potion from Nathaniel's quarters & hurried to prepare food for the blinded Dexion who was sitting patiently on the overlooking balcony of the alchemy lab with his hand on a special book designed by a mage from Winterhold. Ronthil was fascinated by the bumps in the pages that were supposed to represent words & letters as Dexion had explained to him & that he had learned to decipher the bumps to read the story among the pages from the extensive tutoring sessions he had from the very mage who made the book (_The Mirror_).

Ronthil set the plate of food down in front of the Moth Priest & the man smiled appreciatively. "Thank you, my boy," He said reaching carefully for the fork to try a piece of cut up chicken breast that Ronthil had cooked up. Ronthil never took himself for a cook, but ended up getting plenty of practice cooking up the man's meals to help Nathaniel.

Dexion continued to 'read' his book while munching contently on his food while Ronthil took sips of the blood potion. He enjoyed the quiet around Dexion, finding the older man's company pleasant enough & Dexion was more than willing to share whatever wisdom he could provide (Ronthil wasn't sure if it was out of the heart of a teacher or from the effects of Nathaniel turning him into one of his thralls at Serana's & Harkon's behest).

"My boy, be careful of the Altmer," Dexion warned. He had paused everything he was doing to warn Ronthil of Vingalmo which made him fidget. Ronthil sighed, knowing he just had to hold out until Nathaniel returned & made it clear to everyone that Ronthil was here.

Feran shouted for him & he got up. "I'll be back to take you to the gardens," Ronthil assured running to where Feran was.

"There you are!" Feran hissed, more annoyed than angry.

"I'm sorry," Ronthil quickly apologized, standing ready to obey whatever order was given to him.

"I need you to go get this list of books. They're on the shelf by the coffins."

He jogged down the steps & opened the doors to the bookshelf pulling out each book on the list. Ronthil used his hip the close the doors again, but didn't get far with the books. The books were forced out of his hand when his back was slammed against the bookshelf's doors. He shivered uncontrollably when he felt the thin tongue of Vingalmo trace up his neck to the point of his ear.

Ronthil felt frozen, petrified even when Vingalmo flipped him over so that he was pressed face first into the rough wood & ground his erection against Ronthil's ass. "P-Please…" Ronthil finally stammered out. "Stop…"

He grunted when his head was pressed painfully into the wood. "Who gave you the right to speak?" Vingalmo questioned while the other hand went to work off Ronthil's trousers. Nathaniel's face flashed in Ronthil's eyes.

"NO!" Ronthil shouted louder fighting against the Altmer's strong grip.

Vingalmo's grip suddenly disappeared followed by him screaming in agony after a loud crack sound echoed through the empty sleeping chamber. He whimpered at the scream & slowly turned to see what became of Vingalmo. Vingalmo was pinned face first into the wall & the arm that had crushed his head into the bookshelf was bent at a severely awkward angle behind him (explaining the loud crack he heard). And holding him there was Nathaniel almost effortlessly.

Nathaniel reached out & lightly ran his finger along Ronthil's jawline. "Are you all right?" He asked gently. He didn't even look concerned that he just broke Vingalmo's shoulder out of his socket not that Ronthil was upset over it.

"Y-Yes, I'm fine, My Lord."

Nathaniel's finger traced up to the reddened skin from the contact with the bookshelf & frowned. Nathaniel growled low & Vingalmo's arm came off in a flurry of torn ligaments, bone & muscle. Vingalmo screamed through the whole thing before collapsing to the ground in shock clutching the remains of his shoulder.

Feran came running down the stairs after hearing the scream & stopped at the final step gazing down uncaringly at the now unconscious Vingalmo. Blood spewed out of the shoulder & spilled on to the floor until it touched Feran's boot. "That's going to stain," He muttered under his breath & glanced at Nathaniel & Ronthil.

Nathaniel had taken Ronthil into his arms, making the little Bosmer blush. "I told you I'd take care of you," Nathaniel said with a gentle smile on his face. "No one is allowed to control you, touch you, or use you. Only me."

Feran shook his head at the display, find the public display of affection childish, but said nothing since this was his Lord & his assistant. He only collected the discarded books from the floor (muttering about the blood stains on a few of the covers) & returned back to his lab to experiment & research all that he could. Vingalmo was left on the floor to bleed out or until his stump of an arm knitted close to stop the bleeding not having enough power to completely regenerate the arm.

Ronthil was happy enough to return to their chambers & take one of the chairs in front of the fire place nursing a blood potion. Nathaniel took the smaller throne that Harkon had favored & relaxed for the first time since he had left for his journey to Falkreath. It was almost like the incident with Vingalmo didn't just happen & Nathaniel's face wasn't dotted with blood nor was his arm soaked in the blood of the Altmer.

He regaled the young Bosmer with the tale of his mission. The mission had gone relatively smoothly, Nathaniel picking them off with a great deal of stealth & a few well-placed shots with the crossbow taken from his brief period with the Dawnguard that he named Bianca (& no one touched Bianca lest they lose their hand). Fura hated the weapon since it reeked of vampire blood & Dawnguard which was another reason Nathaniel kept it close. Ronthil admired the etchings in the lacquer, the power that such a small weapon could dish out with each bolt & the fact that Nathaniel favored it enough to give it an affectionate name like Bianca.

There was quite a bit that Ronthil admired about Nathaniel & his quirks since he was given the privilege to witness Nathaniel at his most vulnerable something that he was sure his enemies would kill to see. Nathaniel hoarded books unless he had doubles then he'd get rid of second copy. He had a major weakness for sweet rolls (mostly the frosting that came drizzled on top) & was best friends with a psychotic jester named Cicero. Ronthil never actually met Cicero personally, but had briefly heard of him since Cicero was forced to wait outside while Serana & Nathaniel attended the Court to meet Harkon & thus gaining the abilities of a Vampire Lord automatically rising him far above Ronthil's station. The others had described a psychotic Imperial dressed as a jester, singing about strangling cats & setting bards alight all the while twirling a knife with such skill that it made Fura twitch with a tingling of fear. Nathaniel had laughed at their unease around Cicero having felt completely at ease with the Keeper, but didn't send the insane man home until Serana requested it.

Before the sun could rise, Ronthil tucked himself in the surprisingly warm embrace of the Nord's large arms with his face buried in the contours of his chest, tracing the scars that told his story in river of blood, pain & victory. Most of the scars looked like they were carved open with a serrated or uneven edge; that meant Falmer or the Forsworn that was plaguing the countryside around Markarth – probably a mixture of the two. There were a few scars that Nathaniel had explained were made by a shiv from his time locked under false charges in the Silver-Blood Mine when he had taken on an Orc for the right to see the King of the Forsworn. Nathaniel had accomplished & seen much of Skyrim that Ronthil had yet to experience. And it wasn't just Skyrim. He had experienced the war with the Altmeri Dominion, having been nothing more than a common soldier then no more distinguishable than the matching armor everyone wore & cared for & the fact that he was a Nord instead of an Imperial.

Ronthil traced his fingers over the curved pattern scar that dotted around his chest: a gift given from the World Eater himself. There was a rumor spreading around that Nathaniel had seen Sovngarde in the final battle that only he had seen along with a dragon that he had _captured_ using Dragonsreach. Ronthil could only dream of adventures, if he had that kind of imagination. The most he'd done was escape from a Thalmor prison, nearly bleeding to death from several arrows to his back & being saved by the former Lord Harkon when he washed up on the shores of Volkihar castle. The scars left over from it still dot his back.

Nathaniel's breathing was steady & through his nose. A habit he had picked up to prepare himself for any danger that approached through his acute sense of smell. Ronthil buried his nose in his collarbone enjoying the strange warmth that only someone like Nathaniel could possess even in his state of undead. Honestly, the only reason Ronthil knew Nathaniel was still a vampire was the extended heartbeat & the glowing red eyes that no Nord had.

Ronthil eventually let the sweet embrace of sleep take him feeling Nathaniel tug him even closer.


	3. Chapter 3

Honeyside wasn't what he could call a 'good place to live' with the repeated break-ins from his thieves just because they felt the need to scare the piss out of his Housecarl (Brynjolf mostly), Maven Black-Briar banging on his door every other day when she knew he was in town demanding some sort of job done for either the Thieves Guild or the Dark Brotherhood (he hated the fact that she knew about the Dark Brotherhood bit meaning he'd have to have another chat with Nazir about it) or the town guards wanting to 'search' his home for 'stolen items' aka they wanted to shake him down for _anything_ that could pin him with plenty of reported thefts, shakedowns & murders.

Not that they would _find _anything in his humble little home except the bouncing children that Nathaniel had come to call his own & they in return called him 'Papa'. Two young girls, twins, Sissel & Britte were the subject of abuse from their overbearing father before his life was ended at the point of a dagger. Both immediately begged him to take them in & that he did, personally escorting them to his home in Riften where they'd be under the best protection from the Thieves Guild. Even Maven learned not to demean the twins lest she face the wrath of Brynjolf, Delvin & Vex. And they were his daughters.

He slipped into his house in the dead of night & curled into his warm bed. He was about to fall asleep when he heard the soft patter of bare feet on wood, only glancing up when he heard the light giggling of said daughters. He silently chuckled as to not disturb his exhausted Housecarl & pulled up the covers. "Welcome home, papa. Sorry to wake you," Sissel apologized, shimming under the covers. Britte crawled in on the other side of him resting her head on his arm. Sissel copied her sister & both giggled when he drew his arms around them & pulled them in tighter.

"Never say sorry to me unless you mean it," He reminded kissing them both on the forehead. Britte looked up at him annoyed that he was disturbing her attempts at sleeping cuddled up with her father making him smile sheepishly. They settled in for the rest of their night's rest each taking a deep breath before allowing slumber to take them.

The next morning, they were awoken with a startled scream from Iona who was not expecting her thane to be returning in the dead of night & get in without him waking her up. She often forgot about his various skills of blending in to the shadows & get around without making a sound. He could walk around the house without making so much as a sound out of habit. "Get up, girls," He exclaimed shaking both girls awake. They both groaned & tried to curl up in the warm covers & paw at the open space he had left to regain his body heat again. He chuckled & scooped them both up out of bed earning a few squeals & demands to 'put me down'.

He finally put them down next to the table & moved to the cooking pot to make breakfast for his little joys. They both screamed out what they wanted while he promptly made them what they wanted, making himself a helping of eggs with a few pieces of cooked beef to appear normal to his daughters instead of the bloodsucking vampire he was. The girls dug into their meal with zest, excited that it was their father cooking for them instead of Iona's miserable attempts (only when Brynjolf would stop in did they get almost as good of a meal as Nathaniel's).

"So, how long are you staying this time?" Britte asked munching on a grilled leek.

Nathaniel stopped mid-chew at the question. He'd been bouncing back & forth between his home in Riften to Castle Volkihar so much that he'd lost track of time. He had tried to make him being gone easier by getting them a pet: finding Meeko & Sissel bringing home a rabbit. Meeko was old though & died a few years later, but had lived the last of his life loved by the two girls who adored him in return & by Nathaniel who enjoyed coming home & sitting by the hearth with Meeko curled around his feet. Almost a year. Almost a year of being a Vampire Lord & almost a year since he had taken over the castle. Less than nine months of enjoying his bed with Ronthil. And the Bosmer had to yet to even _know_ about his daughters or anything about his family. He swallowed his mouthful of eggs & answered, "One more week. Then I'm going to go get something & then I'll be staying for good." He smiled as the girls' faces beamed with happiness. They scrambled off their chairs & tackled him in a hug.

He pulled them in tight, smiling at their happiness that their father was going to be staying for good.

The girls tailed him as he walked around the market, purchasing & selling what equipment he had collected in his travels. Madesi was happy enough to purchase what necklaces & rings he had collected while Grelka scowled at him for daring to sell her items instead of buying them. Balimund greeted him warmly & offered for him & the girls to come around for dinner with him & his son, something that Nathaniel took a rain cheque on.

Maven stuck her nose up at him & he only proceeded to ignore her existence making her angry as he had a habit of doing. But she was the one person that she couldn't touch using her usual methods since he was in control of her favorite means of disposing people. Mercenaries were dealt with swiftly with the skill of the Dragonborn & soon no one would take any contracts involving the Dragonborn due to the high body count he'd racked up. All in all, Maven was stuck with giving him attitude & unfortunately paying for someone else to suffer financially or ending their unfortunate lives. The girls even stuck their tongues out at the pious woman making her get flustered at their behavior.

Maramal caught him on his way to the Bee and Barb. "Nathaniel, my son, how are you this fine day!" He greeted lightly jogging up to the young man, Sissel & Britte.

"About to get an afternoon meal with my daughters. If you'll excuse me…" Nathaniel tried to brush off the priest of Mara, but Maramal decided that wasn't going to go as planned.

"Do you mind if I join you? I must inform you of some joyous news!"

"Talos preserve me…" Nathaniel grumbled & opened the door for the priest to step in first.

They took a table away from the rabble of Riften citizens, the girls each ordering a sweetroll each from Keerava who had mostly forgiven him for the shakedown he had to do a few years prior. After helping Talen-Jei make his ring as an apologetic gesture, she finally called him her friend once more. "My friend, I've been told that Dinya is with child!" Maramal proclaimed, unable to help the grin on his face.

Nathaniel nodded & muttered a 'congratulations' to the excited priest. "The doctor predicted that she will give birth during Last Seed. The month of Mara! I know her love is divine now & She has truly blessed me."

"That's great," Nathaniel said without an ounce of interest in the topic. He didn't care much for Maramal except that he did see over the marriages of a few of Nathaniel's close friends such as Talen-Jei & Keerava so he played nice. Britte & Sissel often stared at him like he was nuts half the time (& most of the time Nathaniel would agree with the assumption).

"When are you going to settle down?" He asked bluntly making Nathaniel choke on his drink.

"What?!"

"You have two wonderful daughters, albeit not your own, but they have no parental figure permanently in their lives," Maramal preached. "No mother."

The girls bolted from their seats, screaming, "Uncle Bryn!"

Nathaniel quickly followed his daughters leaving Maramal behind to yell something about getting married to someone like Mjoll. Nathaniel laughed at the notion of marrying Mjoll since it would sooner be him marrying a hagraven (which almost happened… Damn Sanguine) than marrying the woman who is hell bent on taking down the Thieves Guild. He's had a few marriage proposals, but he would flee before they could try & make him see 'reason as to why they were a good match' (the scariest by far being Camilla's in Riverwood. He's still avoiding Sven & Faendal).

But that also made him think of Ronthil, the Bosmer-turned that had shared his bed for many months. He was comfortable around him & Ronthil opened up to Nathaniel feeling the same level of comfort. He would even say they had become downright domestic with the way they acted with each other. He had never brought up the topic of children with Ronthil, but the he'd have to find out that he had two daughters eventually.

Ronthil was every bit apart of his life as Sissel & Britte were.

Brynjolf greeted him in a manner that no longer said 'Teacher-Protégé', but as brothers after Nathaniel asked him to be the surrogate uncle for his girls. He was ecstatic with the invitation & promptly burst into his home after the girls had settled announcing, "UNCLE BRYNJOLF HAS ARRIVED TO SPOIL HIS NIECES!"

Needless to say, the girls loved him.

"Glad to see you back in town, Lad," He said carrying the girls on his broad shoulders.

Nathaniel chuckled & followed Brynjolf out of the Bee & Barb. "You know I'll always come back. My greatest treasures are here!" He reached up & ruffled the hair of Britte who was closest in range. She whined & tried to fix her hair with only one hand since the other was secured around the top of Brynjolf's head.

"Listen, Delvin may have a job or two for you, if you're interested," Brynjolf said nonchalantly.

"Actually, I've been meaning to talk to you about that. I've been thinking of retiring."

Brynjolf stopped walking jerkily. Sissel & Britte struggled to prevent themselves from falling & readjusted themselves on his shoulders. "Are you serious, Lad?"

"Just hear me out, Bryn. I've been away from my family for far too long. It won't be long before I completely miss out on them growing up. I didn't adopt them for the heck of it. I adopted them because I was ready to be a father. To raise a family & since there wasn't a world-ending crisis or the fate of a war riding on my shoulders, I felt it was time. But time & time again I get dragged off to deal with a vampire attack or a dragon roasting up on mountain peaks." Nathaniel sighed, feeling the relief of getting that off his chest. "I'm tired & ready to settle down."

Brynjolf nodded & glanced up at Sissel & Britte who were as shocked to hear this news as he was. Nathaniel watched the reactions of his family carefully before he felt a large hand clap against his back companionably. "My friend, my brother, if that is what you want: who am I to stop you? Besides, if you truly wanted me to agree, I'm sure you'd just use your powers on me."

Nathaniel chuckled at the light jab at his vampirism. They wandered past the temple of Mara to the mausoleum entrance to the Thieves Guild still surrounded by Nightshade plants. Brynjolf set them down the girls & pushed in the lock mechanism, stepping back to allow the coffin to slide back. "Never did tell me who is in the coffin," Nathaniel mused stepping down the stairs holding his daughters' hands.

"Gallus now," Bryn answered pulling the chain to close the entrance behind them.

"Finally put to rest." He smiled knowing that the former Guild Master was given the peace he deserved.

Brynjolf pulled off the lid to the manhole & went down the ladder first to be able to help the girls down. Once they were safe inside the cistern, the girls darted around to antagonize anyone they could in their surrogate family. Rune became their target & soon he was running around the cistern trying to escape "the ferocious & powerful dragons". Poor man.

Nathaniel & Brynjolf wandered over to the desk & looked over the ledgers for the profits so far, but most importantly: Nathaniel's retirement fund that he had set up not only for himself, but for each member of the Guild. He had enough to sit pretty for the rest of his unnatural life (not that he'd have any trouble) & still have enough for the girls to be well off & cared for. They closed the log book & stuffed it back in the safe.

The Ragged Flagon was bustling with potential thieves & merchants looking to sell their wares to people they knew had coin to spend. Vekel even went as far as to hire an assistant named Ulfred to help him with getting drinks to people & cooking up food. He & Tonilia had finally broken up a year prior when she was caught spreading her legs for one of the Black-Briars & Tonilia was replaced with a new fence named Illia. Nathaniel sure didn't miss her & actually cheered when he heard Tonilia was gone, the bitch. Illia was a sweet, but manipulative & slightly homicidal girl who was protective of the Guild & made sure _no one_ was double crossed. She started to become attracted to Vekel (something Vex found hilarious) & soon the two were inseparable. Vekel got his wish of a girl who would slow down & live with him & Illia got someone who she could count on instead of being held down by the chains of society.

Vekel waved at them & planted to tankards of ale down for them. They sat down & each took a swig of the bitter drink. "So, where would you go? I assume you wouldn't want to stay in Riften if you're plannin' on retirin'?"

"I still have property out in Falkreath & a Housecarl probably tired of the one bedroom house I had built so far. Could probably finish it & me & the girls could move out there & live in relative silence."

Brynjolf hummed in agreement to the idea mentioning that a few of the townsfolk would be more than happy to help.

Nathaniel stared into the amber liquid in his tankard. He just had one last thing to take care of before he saw to his plan & before he saw to Ronthil. The Dawnguard would still hunt him & threaten his family if their leaders remained in place. He said a mild apology to Agmaer the frightened farm boy he had come across when he initially joined up with the Dawnguard for having to end his life early. Isran – he'd gladly tear out his throat for the attempt on his life multiple times.

He said his goodbyes to the Guild & took his daughters home for a night's rest.

Before he knew it, the week was done meaning his plan was going into motion. He had spent much time at Balimund's forge crafting enough arrows to take down a small army knowing he'd need it with the strength of the Dawnguard. The girls begged him not to leave, but he reassured them that he'd be coming back soon & with it a new life would begin for them.

He set off for Castle Volkihar when the sun was starting to set saying his goodbyes to his daughters & Iona.

The castle was eerily quiet, even for a place of such doom & gloom. On most nights, he could hear at least the constant chattering of the inhabitants inside – only he heard nothing but small sounds that he couldn't place. It was night, so they wouldn't be asleep & he for sure would hear Orthjolf & Vingalmo arguing (not that Vingalmo's doing much of that these days). He took Bianca in hand & carefully walked to the entrance of the castle, noting the bloodstain on the door that wasn't there before.

The Watchman laid clinging to life in the archway to his left, old & decrepit being unable to thwart the attackers' advance. By the bolts sticking out of his chest, it was safe to assume the Dawnguard were behind this. He cursed silently – He was too late to put them down. And now they attacked the castle.

He shouldered open the door quickly & scanned the area with his crossbow. It smelled of congealed blood associated with vampires & the blood of an Orc - Durak. Just Durak meaning he was all they could kill before the Dawnguard overpowered them. He couldn't smell anyone else so the other members of the vampire hunters were long gone. He shouldered his crossbow & darted down the stairs with only one person in mind: Ronthil.

Orthjolf was dead, as was Modhna & Rargal, in the great hall. CuSith was off to the side licking his wounds with an unhurt Garmr sitting next to him whining low because his friend was hurt. Everyone else was accounted for alive, with varying degrees of injury & being cared for by Feran who scrambled about with his side torn open, but healing. "What happened here?" He questioned Garan who was sitting on a chair nursing a head wound – probably from a shield. It was healing, but not as quickly from the special enchantments the Dawnguard placed on their weapons.

"I only went to see if you had returned. I opened the doors to your chambers & there were Dawnguard members. Next thing I know the whole castle is overrun with them, the cattle was set free & we're struggling to hold them off," He gave a brief summary of the situation. "They replenished their ranks under our noses it seems."

He grabbed his shoulder & asked, "Where is Ronthil?"

Garan shook his head. "I'm sorry, my Lord. They figured they could use him as bait to lure you out."

Nathaniel felt a lump in his throat at the news.

_His_ Ronthil was in the hands of the very people trying to kill him & they were desperate enough to kill him to use the elf against him – his one blind spot. Well, they got his full undivided attention, but they still made the mistake of taking what's _his_.

"What about Serana?"

"She's with her mother in the gardens. She was injured trying to save Ronthil."

Nathaniel clenched his jaw painfully tight. "Garan, make sure everyone is accounted for, bodies are collected & given their due respects. And above all make sure this doesn't happen again."

"Where are you going, my Lord?" Garan called after him as he stalked toward the doors leading to the garden.

"To check on Serana & Valerica. Then to get back what's _mine_."

Garan bowed slightly as his head wound finally sealed shut.

Serana was no better than the rest, but the blood around her abdomen told a different story than the others: she'd been run through with a broadsword. "Serana!" Nathaniel called jogging down the stairs to the table Serana & Valerica were sitting.

"Where in the bloody Divines were you?!" Valerica hissed dangerous standing up sharply.

Her eyes glowing dangerously as her hands ignited with a simple flame spell, but knowing Valerica it would incinerate him from the inside out easily. "Not here, obviously!" Nathaniel responded before shoving her aside to kneel in front of Serana. "Are you alright?" He asked taking Serana's hands from her abdomen.

She nodded. "It's just taking a bit to heal," She assured removing her bloodstained hands from his. "I tried to stop them, but they were too many in number. I did dispose of that Orc before I went down." Nathaniel smiled at her stubbornness & kissed her head as a brother would his sister.

"I'm sorry I wasn't here to stop this."

"But knowing you, Nate, you're about to go raze their stronghold to its foundations."

"And take anything not nailed down."

He stood up & lightly stroked her hair. For someone who was centuries older than him, she acted like she was younger than him. He chalked it up for her need to have a real family, even if it meant looking to him as a brother. A brother who killed her father, but a brother nonetheless. He was happy to see a sister in her since he was an only child himself. Valerica still disliked him, but since Serana seem to love Nathaniel – she tolerated him.

Feran gave him a brief nod as he passed by while he held a health potion to Fura's lips. They had already brought the Watchman's body inside laying it next to the dead & more vampires were on their feet once more from Feran's work. Those that were on their feet stayed clear on his path – his bloodlust had already set in & ready to slaughter any who had hurt Serana & Ronthil. He couldn't give a damn about anyone else, but the moment someone touched his closest friends, Serana, or Ronthil: someone was going to end up a corpse. Vingalmo was proof of that, simpering in the corner as he was.

Fort Dawnguard was dark, most of the lights dimmed, but he could hear the light clanking of their armor inside. They were prepared for an ambush, but they wouldn't expect just one vampire to show up to kill them all. And he would do just that.

The ancient tongue of the Dovah burned in the back of his throat as he neared the doors. He disliked using his Thu'um since they gave him a mild headache after each use, but sometimes a man just had to burn down the door in a split second to catch them off guard. _"Tol-Toor-Shul!"_ The command came out along with a blaze of an inferno that blew the doors off its hinges & incinerated the wood, bending the metal holding it together.

The Dawnguard inside did not know how to react until Nathaniel had stuck two bolts into two unexpecting heads of Beleval & Ingjard with his beloved Bianca. Then the attack was on as they feebly tried to defend themselves from the violent onslaught of damage Nathaniel was dishing out. Mogrul charged with his battle axe ready to cleave off Nathaniel's head, but was met with air as the vampire seemed to disappear from his field of vision only to reappear behind him with his blade cutting through his spine.

Mogrul dropped & Gunmar & Celann took their chances against the angry & homicidal Vampire Lord. Celann swung his axe dangerously close to Nathaniel's chest forcing him to take a step back only to respond by cleaving his sword into Celann's leg. The victory was short lived by Gunmar's ferocious shield smash. Nathaniel's hand flew to his face to quell the bloody nose he received & Gunmar laughed at the small victory of being able to lay a strike on the Vampire Lord. "Draw my blood…" Nathaniel muttered before he vanished from sight.

Gunmar & Celann stood back to back in a small attempt to prevent any surprise attack, but it was for naught. Nathaniel reappeared just as his hands slapped over their heads & were brought together hard. Their skulls cracked on impact knocking them unconscious. Nathaniel put his boot to Celann's throat & twisted – effectively snapping the Breton's neck. Gunmar's throat became the next place he stuck his boot when he heard the shout of, "STOP!"

Nathaniel glanced up, teeth bared & eyes glowing an angry red at Isran who had an axe close to Ronthil's neck. Nathaniel's breath hitched in his throat at the state of his lover: bruised on every piece of exposed skin with a degree of cuts & gashes from numerous blows that would make Nathaniel repay them by taking their lives for even _daring_ to touch his Ronthil much less hurt him. "Let him go!" Nathaniel growled in a voice that was a mixture of his own & that of a Dovah.

"Drop your weapons, or I slit the boy's throat!" Isran threatened allowing the blade to slice a sliver of a cut into Ronthil's throat making him whimper at the burn.

"Slit his throat & you won't live to see the light of day again," Nathaniel growled fully aware of the other members of the Dawnguard slowly circling him. "You couldn't just leave us well enough alone, could you?!"

"You vampires are all scum!" Isran shouted back. "I swore to eliminate your kind off the face of Tamriel. And I aim to do so. Ending your life will only make things easier!" Bianca was in his hand, itching to be raised & fired. The only thing keeping him from doing it was the fact that Ronthil was in the way & he didn't want to hurt his beloved little elf. He shouldered the weapon in a slight defeat.

Ronthil was shaking like a leaf under Isran's heavy arm. His hands were bound behind his back & covered so that he wouldn't be able to get a clear shot off of any sort of magic before he burned his hands with the bag. Pain was not something Ronthil enjoyed inflicting on himself despite the damage he had suffered over the years of treatment. Between his teeth was a piece of metal to keep him from biting anyone. A collar – a _fucking_ _metal collar_ – was around the poor elf's neck with a chain that was clasped tightly in Isran's grasp. The cold unforgiving metal bit into the flesh that Nathaniel knew intimately & he could see small streams of blood seeping out from struggle & the repeated jerking Isran no doubt did to him.

Gunmar choked & writhed, reminding him of the Dawnguard hunter he had under his boot. With a twist, Gunmar's neck snapped & he was dead. "GUNMAR!" Sorine screamed swinging her axe recklessly in his direction. His hand snapped up & caught her wrist making her scream in frustration trying to yank her wrist from his death grip. His other hand wrapped around her throat & lifted her clear off the floor.

"Drop the elf or the bitch dies," Nathaniel warned, his claws digging slightly into her throat – enough to cause pain, but not enough to kill her. "Do you really want to lose any more members?"

Isran didn't budge. Nathaniel growled & tore out her throat, throwing her on to the body of Celann. Pressed flat against his wrist was a knife he had snagged from Sorine's armor. It was a half-ounce heavy on the end, but would do its purpose. He flipped the blade around skillfully out of view of Isran until he was holding the blade itself. "Divines take you!" Isran shouted & moved to slide the axe across Ronthil's throat.

Nathaniel twisted his arm around to the front, the knife becoming an airborne projectile. Isran could barely register the knife, too focused on slitting Ronthil's pulse point to watch him bleed out like a stuffed pig until the knife was mere inches away. He managed a gasp as the knife buried into his eye & pierced the intelligent brain he had killing him instantly.

The axe fell away & Isran dropped like a sack of potatoes. The chain linked to Ronthil's collar was released & the little elf darted away from any who would try to subdue him again until he was enveloped with Nathaniel's strong arms.

The Dawnguard remaining – Agmaer, Florentius, Ollrod, Tilde & Vori – stood witness to the man who had just killed their leader. Agmaer had resorted back to the scared farm boy, regretting ever coming here while the others fumbled for proper action against the Vampire Lord.

Finally it was Agmaer that led the pack in running for their lives out of the castle to save themselves from his wrath. Ronthil was in his arms in seconds in the now empty castle aside from the dogs they left behind who whined from their kennels somewhere in the castle. "I'm sorry," Nathaniel whispered into the elf's hair, kissing the soft locks repeatedly & inhaling Ronthil's scent.

"No, _I'm_ sorry," Ronthil whimpered. "If I had been stronger, I wouldn't have put you in this situation & the Dawnguard wouldn't have tried to kill you & you wouldn't have been in danger & I-"

Ronthil was cut off by Nathaniel all but devouring his mouth in a ferocious & needy kiss that claimed & loved at the same time & made Ronthil weak at the knees. Nathaniel only pulled away to pull off the chains, breaking them with inhuman strength that allowed Ronthil to finally wrap his arms around his lover' neck. The collar came off last & thrown across the grand hall. "Thank you," Ronthil muttered into Nathaniel's neck.

Nathaniel lavished the elf's poor marked up neck with delicate kisses & tentative licks to be rid of the blood staining his skin. The dog barking got louder & it was decided that Bran & Sceolang would come with them. The war dogs were wary of the vampire duo at first, but realizing that they were all they had left were happy enough for the attention Ronthil gave them.

They left the castle, leaving the dead to rot or until someone discovered them again. They walked with the dogs weaving around them & wandering a bit of ways away from them, but always coming back to walk at their sides. They stopped only to make camp when the daylight started to peek over the horizon. The cold morning brought them to bring Bran & Sceolang into their tent to curl up with for a bit of warmth.

Ronthil grinned as he scratched them behind their ears making them huff & their tails wag.

Nathaniel smiled at the scene. "We're not going back to the castle yet," He said, finally making up his mind.

Ronthil looked up at him quickly, his glowing eyes shining with curiosity. "We're not?"

"No. There's something I want you to see. And to maybe be a part of."

Ronthil rolled over to look at the Nord fully. "Nate, what is it?"

Nathaniel bit the inside of his cheek. Now or never. "I have a family, safe & sound in Riften. Two young girls by the names of Sissel & Britte. They're my life & you're my life. I want you to meet them."

Ronthil stared at him slack-jawed & for a moment Nathaniel thought he had scared Ronthil off with the mention of his kids, but quite the opposite happened. "I-I didn't know you had kids. I'd love to meet them."

Nathaniel drew him in close & kissed him affectionately before settling in to a decent morning sleep with the dogs slumbering next to them.

When they reached the town of Riften, it was still quiet. It was quite early in the morning so not even Balimund was awake & at his forge just yet. Only tired guards wandered around cracking a yawn or two as sleep threatened to creep up on them. Judging from the time & what Nathaniel knew of the guards: it was almost time for the next shift to take over.

Ronthil twitched nervously next to him, clasping his lithe fingers around Nathaniel's. Nathaniel smiled & pulled him closer, unlacing their fingers in favor of wrapping his arm loosely around the elf's shoulders. Ronthil took comfort in the gesture as his other hand found Bran's head to scratch at to take his mind off of meeting Nathaniel's daughters.

During the few days of travel, Ronthil peppered Nathaniel with questions of his daughters. First & foremost if they were indeed _his_ (mildly relieved when Nathaniel told him they were adopted). Nathaniel told him all about Sissel & Britte: How Sissel was one for education & spent most of her time reading the vast amounts of books Nathaniel acquired. How Britte had a bit of a warrior's heart who liked to play with wooden swords & dreamed of being a fierce warrior in service to a powerful Jarl. How Sissel had Hroar dangling around her fingertips already & more than once he's had to chase off the young boy saying his daughter wasn't up for grabs yet. He told him about their rough upbringing. Ronthil felt his eyes tear up after hearing that the poor girls were abused & kissing him when he said that he had killed their biological father to end the abuse once & for all. He told them about their favorite gifts & about their pet rabbit Cotton. Anything that Ronthil would need to get the girls to accept him, but Nathaniel reassured him that the girls would love him knowing that he made their father happy.

He opened the door to his home & stepped inside allowing the dogs to dart inside making Iona scream in fright. She stood behind the table with her sword extended toward the huskies while the dogs sniffed every nook & cranny of their new environment. She looked up at them & exclaimed, "My Thane! You've returned! Welcome home!"

She then realized that the dogs were with her Thane & sheathed her weapon, cautiously stepping out from behind the table. "Ronthil, this is Iona, my housecarl," Nathaniel briefly introduced. "Iona, this is Ronthil."

Iona smiled pleasantly & nodded in greeting. Ronthil nodded too who was a bit alarmed to find a woman living with Nathaniel, but relieved to hear she was just a housecarl. "Follow me," Nathaniel said quietly & headed for the stairs. He followed obediently behind, staying close not out of fear of losing him but for a quick place to hide from his daughters should they not like him.

Sissel & Britte were curled up in their blankets sleeping soundly. Cotton started awake at the sound of the two entering the room & darted under Sissel's bed. Nathaniel knelt between the two beds & gently shook them. "Girls? Daddy's home," He whispered.

They both groaned in their sleep & slowly started to wake up. Britte was the first to scream, "PAPA!" That caused Sissel to wake up as well & both jumped from their beds into his waiting arms.

He nuzzled them with affection & love as they giggled with happiness that he was home again. "Listen girls, I brought someone I want you to meet," He said, setting them down so that they were looking at Ronthil who shifted nervously from one foot to another. He scratched at his elbow as the two scrutinized him & studied his demeanor, assessing & calculating their reactions to the elf.

"Are you going to be our new father?" Britte asked her head cocking to the side.

Ronthil flushed at the prospect of being a father to Nathaniel's girls. "Uh… Um…" He stammered, his fidgeting getting progressively worse.

"Don't scare the poor man. Go upstairs; Iona's almost got breakfast ready."

The girls both nodded & scurried around Ronthil. They were up the stairs in a heartbeat & all they heard was Iona yelling in frustration & telling them not to run. Ronthil was still bright red from his neck to the tip of his pointed ear. The tension in the air was so thick it was palpable that even the females upstairs were mostly silent to hear what would happen just below their feet.

"Sorry if my daughters were a bit… blunt," Nathaniel said, crossing the room to the frozen elf. "But they weren't going to sugarcoat anything."

"I'm going to be their new father? Does… Does that mean…?"

Nathaniel let his hand grasp Ronthil's lithe fingers, carding them with his own. "In my culture, wearing an Amulet of Mara is supposed to show that you are available for marriage. I always thought that was a weird custom since most marriages were a spur of the moment thing & normally end in misery. I'm not asking you to marry me if you aren't ready for it, but I at least want you in my life more permanently. Living here. With me. And my daughters."

Ronthil smiled bashfully & squeaked when Nathaniel brought him in close to kiss his mouth, allowing complete & utter submission to wash over him.

The girls showed Ronthil everything about Riften, dragging him around by his long fingers excitedly pointing out people & places. Ronthil was introduced to Balimund who gave him a big clap on the back for 'managing to tie down Nathaniel'. Grelka showed the same indifference to him as she did Nathaniel as well but gave a brief half-assed smile when the girls introduced him as their 'other papa' causing him to flush red. Nathaniel only laced his fingers with his own making the red color reach the peak of his ears & to his chest.

Maramal didn't even bother Nathaniel that day, only smiled approvingly at the elf, mostly oblivious to the fact that they were vampires, but that was a secret that only the Guild knew about (& perhaps Maven since she did find out about the Dark Brotherhood affiliation). He was chased out of sight by the two hounds trailing behind them who automatically decided they didn't like the priest of Mara.

Nathaniel emerged from the washroom to see Ronthil standing in their bedroom when night rolled around, his usual sleep schedule messed up at this point since he wasn't used to sleeping during the night. He couldn't find any way to try & sleep through the night so that he could interact with his new daughters the next day. Normally, he & Feran would be about the lab conducting what experiments fancied the Dunmer-turned or running tasks for Garan. For the first time, he didn't have anyone telling him a grocery list of things he needed to do or for him to get out of the way. He jumped when Nathaniel wrapped his arms around his thin waist, nipping affectionately at his neck & allowing his canines to graze his pulse point.

Ronthil shivered at the slight touch leaning heavily into the large Nord, pressing his butt against Nathaniel's groin. He whined when his hands traveled from his waist to his hardening crotch, cupping him through his trousers. When his hands slid into the seam of his trousers, Ronthil's hands flew to grip the Nord's strong forearms as he stroked the Elf's cock to full erectness. "M… My Lord!" Ronthil gasped bucking up into the hand. Nathaniel chuckled at the response he got & nipped at his pointed ear eliciting an involuntary moan.

Nathaniel's spare hand trailed up Ronthil's shirt & kneaded a nipple between his thumb & index. He writhed at the treatment shivering & gasping for air. Ronthil could feel his muscles tighten & relax rapidly in pleasure, wanting nothing more than the friction to continue. His fangs sunk into his lip to prevent himself from moaning too loudly to awaken the girls & housecarl sleeping below them, but Nathaniel could not have given any care to the three overhearing them.

Ronthil's hands released the forearms when Nathaniel pressed him gently to the wall & he splayed his fingers across the wood paneling. "N-Nathaniel… Ah…" Ronthil whimpered, grinding harder against the cock pressed into his clothed ass. Nathaniel smirked at his little elf's whines & please & pulled at Ronthil's trousers. The trousers slid down his hips to his ankles & he kicked them away to start a pile of clothing that was sure to form. His underclothes quickly followed leaving him in just his night shirt.

Ronthil pushed off the wall only enough so that he could spin around to face his lover. Nathaniel capitalized on the change of position to hoist him up, making him wrap his legs around his waist. He nipped & bit at the exposed flesh of the Bosmer's neck before sinking his teeth into his skin, enjoying the taste of his lover. Ronthil shivered from the delicious pain, grasping his shoulders to keep himself balanced.

Nathaniel reached between their bodies to undo the ties of his own breeches, letting them drop around his ankles. Ronthil smiled enthusiastically when the Nord's hard cock emerged from its cloth prison & pressed against the cleft of his ass. Nathaniel pulled him off the wall & deposited him on the large bed much like their first coupling. Ronthil took his hand & drew the digits into his mouth running his tongue over the rough pads of his fingertips. Nathaniel sucked in a breath, watching his little elf worship the calloused fingers with his tongue, flicking at them much like honey nut treats.

Nathaniel watched as Ronthil nearly came undone beneath him when he pushed the first finger past the tight ring of muscle. He pushed back against the Nord's hand in a desperate attempt to gain more friction as a second finger was added, then a third. Nathaniel purposely avoided that little bundle of nerves to send him soaring, teasing the elf relentlessly as he bit into his knuckle to avoid moaning loudly enough that the girls & the housecarl could hear. Always considerate.

Nathaniel removed his fingers & then aligned his cock with the elf's puckered entrance. He wrapped his legs around Nathaniel's waist, forcing him to enter him in one smooth motion. Eager little thing. He bit his lip, fangs sinking into the flesh to hold back the wanton moan that wanted to escape & Nathaniel licked at the blood that pebbled out. He grinded hard against Ronthil's arse, then pulled out almost all the way before thrusting back in. Ronthil arched off the bed, Nathaniel's cock rubbing ever so sweetly against his prostate as he thrusted into him. "N-Nathaniel," Ronthil gasped, digging his fingernails into the Nord's broad & strong shoulders. Nathaniel gasped in slight pleasure from the pain, uncaring of the marks they would leave for a few hours.

Nathaniel pulled him off his back so that he wasn't touching the bed at all, held up by the Nord's upper body strength. The new angle made his eyes roll to the back of his head as Nathaniel seemingly bounced him on his dick deeper than before. Nathaniel smirked at the response & sunk his fangs into Ronthil's neck. Ronthil couldn't hold back his moans anymore, gasping out, "Oh Maker yes!" The victory was followed by the elf coming all over his & Nathaniel's stomachs, his bones turning to jelly in an instant. He twitched as Nathaniel continued to pound into him, his skin & insides overtly sensitive from the orgasm.

Nathaniel felt that familiar coil in his lower abdomen before his own orgasm came, spilling inside his dear sweet little Ronthil, burying his face in the elf's slightly tanned neck. He gently laid the sensitive Bosmer back on the bed, kissing lightly at the cum staining his stomach. Ronthil smiled at the treatment, his eyes drifting closed appreciatively.

Nathaniel reached over to the nightstand & grabbed an ordinary cloth that would suffice for the time being. He gently wiped down his exhausted & well-fucked lover who shifted into slumber. He gave himself the same treatment before disposing of the cloth in the fireplace. No need for his housecarl or his daughters to accidentally end up touching the spoiled cloth. He pulled the blankets out from under his naked Bosmer & curled it around them.

Ronthil awoke only long enough to bury himself in Nathaniel's chest & sigh in the Nord's embrace. "I love you…" He muttered before sleep took him again.

Nathaniel smiled at his little elf. He loved Ronthil, truly. Only thing left was to ask him to marry him. But that was for another day. Tonight, he would enjoy his time holding lover in his home with his daughters sleeping soundly in their beds & his housecarl still sane to greet him dutifully.

Also the decision of where to move their little family.


End file.
